Drama club's benefit show aims to help war veterans

News-Times, The (Danbury, CT)

Published
7:00 pm EST, Monday, January 24, 2005

The Brookfield High School drama club is planning a variety show titled "Stand By Me," with performances May 27 to 29 to raise money for the Wounded Warrior fund. Auditions will be Fridayat 2:15 in Brookfield High School's cafeteria.

The club is looking for singers, dancers, musicians and backstage crew members. It also hopes for donations of money or services.

"We are looking for community involvement," said Linda Davies, the show's producer. "Our only big cost right now is going to be renting a sound system, and we're hoping to get that covered by someone."

As the label variety show implies, there will be a number of types of performances.

"We're going to have a lot of singing and stuff of that nature," said Patrick Kearney, a junior who is coproducing the show. "We're going to have the dance team perform, and there's also going to be the Brookfield Drum Line."

There will also be renditions of songs from Broadway shows such as "Chicago," "Rent" and "42nd Street."

Twenty-five Brookfield youngsters in addition to the high school students will participate on stage, and students at other schools are welcome to join them. Anyone who participates will be providing community service.

The Wounded Warrior project was established by John Folsom to aid soldiers injured during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

"He was hired in Germany to find all the casualties from Iraq and Afghanistan and bring them back to hospitals," explained Samantha Davies, 18, a student doing her senior project on the show.

A soldier himself, Folsom witnessed first hand the needs of soldiers who came home with practically nothing. He now works to supply them with everything from clothing to laptop computers.

"We're hoping that, because of the cause, a lot of people will start to donate," said Jessica Mino, a junior who is coproducing the show.

"Wounded Warrior is such a new organization," said Samantha. "I think it's important to let people know exactly what Wounded Warrior is."